1. Field of the Invention
A great deal of attention is being given to centrifugally distributing articles to the outer limits of a rotating plane, such that the articles may be placed in single file relationship for counting, packaging, filling, weighing and the like. The single file distribution or alignment of the sorted articles for the most part has severely limited filling or other manufacturing operations. For example, it is desired in the manufacture of shell casings or lip balm of the type designated CHAPSTICK (Registered Trademark Miller-Morton Company, Richmond, Va., 23230) to present a hollow cylindrical container in side by side array as a matrix of parallel rows prior to filling. A multi-headed filling device might simultaneously address a plurality of hollow containers in one or more parallel rows. For example, a rotating wheel type filling device may rotate over a matrix of rows, filling all the containers in a single row at the point of tangential contact. Heretofore, there has not been a successful mode of translating such articles from single file into side by side array. Consequently, the side by side array of containers has for the most part been achieved manually by depositing of the containers in side by side array within a supporting matrix prior to filling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. to:
______________________________________ HOAR 2,632,588 GARRETT 2,763,108 d'AYTGEVUKKE 3,063,596 PEARSON 3,170,627 HURST 3,215,310 READ 3,253,604 PEARSON 3,266,664 HURST 3,368,713 HOPPMANN, et al. 3,669,260 HOPPMANN, et al. 3,722,764 ______________________________________